Tottenham Hotspur could look to address their centre-forward issues in January, and one player they are closely observing is Freiburg's Igor Matanovic.
After a turbulent start to the new campaign, Spurs have improved in recent weeks under Roberto De Zerbi, although they remain locked in a congested mid-table in the Premier League. Scoring just ten goals in their opening ten matches, it's clear that the Italian's side's primary issue is their inability to find the back of the net.
Richarlison has effectively been frozen out by the former Brighton boss, after a reported breakdown in the relationship between the player and the coach. Meanwhile, Dominic Solanke has scored just four league goals since the start of last season, and Omar Marmoush only has one strike to his name in a Tottenham shirt.
To add insult to injury, Will Lankshear, who Spurs sold to Middlesbrough in the summer for a fee that could rise to £20 million, is currently the top goalscorer in the Championship. The 21-year-old has 15 goals in 16 appearances across all competitions for Boro.
Letting one of their prized young stars leave before he had time to develop into a prolific goalscorer will be a difficult bullet to bite, but Tottenham's hierarchy could still redeem themselves by signing Matanovic in an upcoming window.
Speaking on GIVEMESPORT's Market Madness podcast, Ben Jacobs revealed that Tottenham are interested in Matanovic, whilst mooting the possibility that the Lilywhites could opt for a short-term solution to their striker problem in January.
"I think they could go for one in January if the right target presents itself," he said.
"It's a shame how the Richarlison situation has panned out. Igor Matanovic is one name, as I exclusively revealed, that Tottenham like. They may look for something a little bit more short-term, like a loan. The same for Manchester United. If they can't find the right target, or maybe someone with a bit more experience within the Premier League, then they can reassess in the summer. What they won't want to do is necessarily go all in and panic buy in January for someone on a long-term contract, instead of just biding their time and waiting it out."
Given Matanovic is only 23 and is reportedly tied down at Freiburg until 2029, he's unlikely to qualify as a 'short-term' solution option. The German club probably aren't keen on sanctioning the departure of their star striker midway through the season unless they receive a substantial offer, and Jacobs' comments suggest that making over-the-odds offers isn't the approach Spurs want to take this winter.
That said, a summer move for Matanovic remains very much on the cards.
Matanovic Signing Would Relieve Lankshear Pain
Given how well Lankshear has started the season, it's likely that he'll be the subject of interest from Premier League clubs in the summer if Middlesbrough don't achieve promotion. Thus, it's possible that he'll be lining up for an English top-flight side next term, and it probably won't be Tottenham.
This will be a tough pill to swallow for Spurs, who had the prospect in their grasp not long ago. However, Matanovic could prove to be a much better player than Lankshear, and more capable of reaching the level that Spurs aspire to be at than his English counterpart.
The Croatian scored 15 goals across all competitions for Freiburg last term, and he already has eight this time around.
Standing at 6'5", Matanovic is physically and aerially dominant, whilst he provides the Breisgau-Brasilianer with a dependable focal point throughout matches.
He can certainly still become more efficient with his finishing, but his 4.32 shots per 90 minutes is a positive indication that he has plenty more goals within him, which could be unlocked under a manager like De Zerbi.
If a deal for Matanovic is there to be done in the summer at a reasonable price, it's one that the Lilywhites should look to get over the line.